Crescent Moons
by kittybee
Summary: 20 years ago Tony left a young woman to raise a child by herself. Now the baby's all grown up and being recruited as an Avenger and he has no idea who or what she is. Kathy Mayfield is ready for the fight but not ready to face her father, or fall in love. Bruce/Hulk/OC. During/post-movie. M for language and future content.
1. Chapter 1

Stark. That name was very popular in a high school political science course. Especially when the topic was current events. Kathy Mayfield sighed. In her eighteen year old opinion she had better things to do than listen to her lovesick teacher gush over the cocky billionaire. And it seemed, judging by the amount of heads that were face down on the desks, her classmates shared her sentiments. As far as she was concerned the Stark heir was a conceited bastard. She wasn't influenced by her mother or anything though. It's not like Kathy's mother would watch the news and when Stark showed up on screen, had a shot, well more than one, of scotch and start mumbling what a bastard he was and how much she hated him. No, Kathy's opinion wasn't influenced at all.

Kathy was starting to get restless. She had a bad feeling about today. Something big was going to happen she could feel it in her blood. And on top of that, as if she wasn't on edge already, Isaac fucking Perez was kicking the back of her chair and tapping his pencil against his desk. Her head was killing her. She would never be able to explain it, but she knew, she knew, something bad was going to happen _right now._ And this asshole was still kicking her chair. She clenched her fist and glared out the window, gritting her teeth, trying to keep calm. The last time she had a fit like this, well, let's say there was a lot of damage.

Her hands were starting to shake. Kathy could feel her body temperature rising. Isaac was still kicking her fucking chair. She tried to breathe. In. 1,2,3,4,5. Out. 1,2,3,4,5. The class was distracted by a knock on the door. A man in a black suit entered. "I need to speak with Ms. Mayfield," he told the teacher. Kathy squirmed as the spotlight was put on her. It didn't exactly help calm her down. But regardless, she took a deep breath and followed the man in to the hallway.

Kathy wasn't going to lie to herself. She knew she wasn't calm. She knew that the next bad thing to happen would set her off. So when the man said, "I'm so sorry to have to tell you this. But your mother was found dead earlier today," she lost it.

And we'll just say that it put her on S.H.I.E.L.D's map. And not in a good way.

_Two years later_…

"Agent Mayfield," Fury greeted her as she passed him in the hall of the Hellicarrier. Agent Hill merely nodded at her. Kathy knew the Hill held certain…distaste for her. Which she found was very well placed all things considered.

"Director. Agent," Kathy answered politely. She was definitely nervous around them. Fury almost smirked as he watched the twenty year old wring her hands and look anywhere but him. Had it been anyone else he would've considered it disrespect, but he knew Mayfield and knew it was just a habit of hers. He'd deny it if anyone asked, but he had a bit of a soft spot for the girl. He was there when they found her alone in the forests of Canada, poorly clothed and nearly starved to death. Fury watched her grow from a puny girl to a strong woman. He was proud of her. Of course, not even she knew that.

"Your presence is required on deck immediately," he told her. She looked at him confusedly before regaining her posture and headed in that direction. Hill regarded her boss carefully.

"Are you sure she's qualified for this Director?" she asked. She had her doubts about Kathy's control. She had progressed a long way from when she had first joined S.H.I.E.L.D but there were more than a few close calls. Fury looked at his second-in-command thoughtfully before answering.

"Whether she is or not, we need her for this." Agent Hill nodded in understanding before Fury continued. "Besides, this may be just what she needs."

_Kathy P.O.V_

I remembered the first time I stepped foot on the Hellicarrier deck. It had taken my breath away. And every now and then it still did. The room was large, filled with state of the art computers and technology that most people have never seen before. But mostly it was the view of the sky that took my breath away. I felt so confined here, always fighting for control, but seeing the sky reminded me of freedom, that all I had to do was go on the airstrip and I could have as much space as I needed to stretch my wings if you may.

Even though I kept myself isolated from most, well, all my fellow agents, I normally recognized every face on the deck. So it came as a small surprise when I came across four strangers surrounding the round table. The red head I had heard of. Natasha Romanoff a.k.a Black Widow was S.H.I.E.L.D's greatest assassin and spy. Last I heard she was on a mission in Russia or something like that. I really wasn't all that up-to-date on recent events I was ashamed to admit. I kept to myself and everyone else left me alone. I spent my time either sleeping or studying in the lab. I wouldn't call myself a genius, but I was quick to pick up on things. Whether that had to do with my genes or my little gift I wasn't sure.

Three of the four men sat at the table while one, who dressed like someone who had come straight from Medieval England, stood. As I walked over to the table I heard a the last bit of their conversation.

"…but he is still of Asgard and he is my brother," the standing one said. Asgard? The hell?

"He's killed eighty people in two days," Agent Romanoff responded matter-of-factly. The other man looked sheepish.

"He's adopted."

I know it wasn't funny but I couldn't help the small giggle that escaped my lips. Their attention turned to me and I felt my face flush pink. "Sorry," I mumbled.

"Who are you small woman?" the man demanded of me. His voice was deep and commanding. It went well with his uhhh costume. His eyes were a stormy blue and his face was framed by shoulder length blonde hair. He towered over me and held his hammer- a hammer?- threateningly in his hands.

"Oh, uh, um I," very smooth Kat, very smooth. I felt myself tremble a bit as those thundering eyes stared me down. A part of me growled at the thought of me being afraid and fought for dominance. I clenched my fist, thanking the Lord that the pain of my fingernails digging into my palms distracted me.

"Thor, uh, I think you're scaring her," a voice from the table called with a small laugh. I glared at him. I wasn't afraid, merely startled. The guy known as Thor smiled at me apologetically.

"I am sorry small woman. I meant to give you no fear. I forget how easily startled you mortals are on Midgard." He gave me a reassuring smile. I smiled back.

"It's alright," I said with a nervous chuckle. I held out my hand. He looked at it confusedly.

"You shake it big guy," a new voice entered the room. The man was dressed in an off-white suit with big sunglasses. His hair was slicked back and he had a neatly trimmed goatee slash mustache thing going for him. A look of comprehension dawned on Thor's face as he grasped my hand and shook it, except he shook it hard enough that my entire body moved with it.

"It is very good to meet you small woman!" I laughed. When was the last time I had really laughed? It felt so nice. "Now do tell me your name."

"Kathy," I answered breathless. "Kathy Mayfield."

"Ah Kathy of the Fields of May," I had to raise an eyebrow at that, "I am Thor Odinson King of Asgard and wielder of Mjolnir!" he bellowed and motioned to his hammer. He named his hammer? At least he didn't have a name for his muscles. "Let me introduce you to my fellow warriors!" Oh my God this guy was like an over excited kid. It was adorable.

"That's quite alright Shakespeare," the man with the sunglasses said. "I'm pretty sure we're capable of introducing ourselves. By the way, no hard feelings. You pack a mean punch," he patted Thor of the back in an almost demeaning way.

I made eye contact with Coulson. Of all the agents, he was by far the nicest and my favorite. He also put up with a lot of bullshit from other agents. My face must've shown my discomfort and panic because he smiled and mouthed 'Calm down' to me. The man in the sunglasses took over the introductions.

"The stunning red head at the table you probably already know is the deadly Black Widow or Natasha Romanoff." Natasha just nodded at me, looking at me warily. "You've met Thor our resident god of thunder." God? What? "The man dressed up as my grandfather is Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America." The Captain was dressed in a yellow plaid button down which was tucked into brown slacks. His light blue eyes shone with kindness as he stood up to shake my head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Mayfield."

"Please call me Kathy or Kat. And the pleasure's all mine Captain," I smiled. His hands were soft. Like baby skin.

The other man continued his introductions. "That brilliant mind over there is a man with breath taking anger management skills, Dr. Bruce Banner." Dr. Banner glared at the man but offered me a shy smile. My breath caught in my throat. His brown hair was curly and unruly and was graying on the sides. His skin had a light tan to it which was more pronounced against the purple shirt he wore. The eyes though, the eyes are what caught my attention. They were brown, a beautiful shade of brown, but they held so much pain, and shame. They showed a reluctance to be there and hiding in the back I saw…anger? Yes, anger.

The man in the suit stood in front of me and removed his sunglasses. "And I am the genius Tony Stark aka Iron Man." My fist clenched so tightly I gasped. I could feel blood dripping from my hand, the cuts made from my fingernails stung but I paid it no mind. Standing in front of me was Tony Stark. I remembered how much my mother hated this man. I remembered _why_ she hated this man. "Wow, she's so in awe of my presence she can't even speak," Stark bragged.

"Ms. Mayfield," Dr. Banner said softly. "Your hand. You're bleeding."

I unclenched my hand and looked at it. The blood covered my entire palm, starting from the little crescent shaped cuts. I looked up to see everyone staring at my hand, at me curiously. Especially that damned Tony Stark. He actually looked concerned. Well maybe concern was the wrong word. He was…intrigued. I couldn't take it. I couldn't breathe. And without a second thought I turned and ran from the deck. Someone called my name but I ignored them.

I didn't stop running until I got to my room. I felt my control slipped away from me. I slammed the door and made sure it was locked. Once that was done I finally let myself go. All the pain I'd ever felt overwhelmed me. The emptiness I felt after having lost my mother, the loneliness I felt even though I was surrounded by people, the anger I felt at the man known as Tony Stark.

He was the man who left the woman known as Sophia Mayfield twenty years ago. He was the man who left her alone and bitter and broken. He was the man who left her to raise a child by herself. He was my father, and I hated him. I screamed. It was loud and painful. It didn't sound like me. It sounded like an injured animal.

And then I blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

When I woke up, I was on the floor. Everything ached. This was the thing I hated most. The aftermath. I pushed myself up into a sitting position. The clothes I wore yesterday had been torn to pieces. I groaned. Those suits were custom made. I'd have to have a talk with Director Fury. That was my last suit. I glanced around my room. The place was a mess. The drawers of my dresser were open and clothes were flung everywhere. The nightstand next to my bed was crushed into splinters. Even the bed frame was broken and bent. And that was made from metal! There were scorch marks on the walls and ash littered the floor. Unbidden I felt tears run down my face. I hated this. I hated turning into this…thing with no purpose other than to destroy.

The mirror in my room was cracked from my episode last night and it distorted my reflection, separating my face into different pieces. It was fitting, I thought. There were so many parts of me, so many different pieces that came together to make me who I was. I focused on my appearance though. My face was sickly pale with tear tracks painted on my cheeks, which always happened after a change. My golden brown eyes were bloodshot and dark bags hung underneath them. My blue black hair was oily and sweaty and hung lifelessly around my face. All in all I looked like a mess.

I sighed and looked through the mess of clothes to find something reasonable to wear in place of my uniform. I ended up wearing black skinny jeans with a dark grey t-shirt. I finished it with a pair of sneakers and throwing my hair up into a messy bun. It wasn't exactly appropriate wear for my job but they'd have to suck it up. I was not in the mood. My stomach growled. I needed food a.s.a.p. With one last look at the mess I'd be cleaning up later I left and headed for the kitchen.

Having eaten something small in the kitchen and not wanting to go back to my room, I wandered the empty halls. It was still late enough that everyone was still asleep, and I thanked whatever higher power there was for that. People avoided me when I didn't have an episode. They ran from the room if I entered after I had one. It made me feel like shit. I didn't choose to become like that. It was a culmination of a number of things.

I found myself heading for the lab, carrying a cup of tea with me. Nobody's ever there. It was my unofficial room and everybody knew it. So when I saw a light coming from the lab, I frowned. I was going to forget about it and go back to my room, but the lab was _my_ space as petty as that sounded. I didn't have much that was _mine._ All my books were there anyways. So I stood in the doorway looking for whoever violated my little hide-away and even though his back was turned, I knew who it was. I cleared my throat.

"Good evening, well, good morning Dr. Banner," I greeted him shyly, still embarrassed by my actions on the deck. What they must think of me. I wouldn't be able to look at any of them for quite some time. Normally I was more composed than that, but seeing Stark- my father, I thought sarcastically- threw me off completely. Banner turned to look at me. I must've startled him. He stared at me thoughtfully for a moment.

"Hey," he said quietly. We looked at each other awkwardly for a moment.

"Are you, uh, I mean, do you mind if I come in? I'm not interrupting you am I?" I asked.

"No, no, of course not," he said bringing another chair over so I could sit next to him, which I thought was sweet. "So what brings you here at this time of night?" he asked turning back to the computer screen in front of him.

"I couldn't sleep and my room isn't exactly… habitable," I chuckled. "What are you doing here Dr. Banner?" I asked lightly. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye with a raised eyebrow before sliding the screen away from him and turning all his attention toward me. He looked exhausted if the bags under his eyes were any indication.

"Bruce," he said. I looked at him confused. "Call me Bruce," he clarified. "And I've been doing research for Fury all night. I didn't even realize what time it was. Sometimes I get a little carried away with my work." I nodded, and finding no words to say pulled up a screen of my own and pulled up some article on Senator Kelly's sudden change of heart when it came to the Mutant Registration Act. I think Bruce, I liked that name, went back to his work. I don't know how long we stayed in silence with him doing whatever research he was doing while I read up on mutant activity.

"You take a special interest in mutants?" Bruce asked me out of nowhere.

"Something like that," I kept my eyes on the screen.

"Ms. Mayfield," Bruce began but I cut him off.

"Call me Kathy or Kat Bruce. It's only fair," I smiled. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him smile too.

"Kathy," he said slowly, testing the name out. "Do you mind if I check your hand? I used to be a doctor before S.H.I.E.L.D dragged me away from it." I stiffened. My hand? I had forgotten that he had noticed it was bleeding. I slowly held my hand out to him. His hand completely engulfed my own as he stared at the palm of my hand. His skin was rough and calloused and holy Jesus it was so warm. I couldn't help the blush that spread across my cheeks and down my neck, nor could I help the obviously less than steady breath that entered my lungs.

"Incredible," he breathed, blowing his warm breath across my palm. The hairs on the back of neck stood on end and I could feel the goose bumps on my arms. What was wrong with me? "There's no sign of any break in the skin. No scabbing, no scarring. How?" He looked up at me and must've seen the obvious discomfort in my face. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't pry. But…this is why you're interested in mutants right? Because you are one?"

"Someone's quick on the pick-up aren't you Captain Obvious?" I lashed out and snatched my hand away from him before he saw…anything else. I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "I'm sorry Bruce." He didn't look hurt or upset. He just regarded me carefully. He shrugged.

"For what? I understand completely. I shouldn't have pried. It's obviously something you're uncomfortable discussing." And he did look like he understood. But he was a scientist. They always wanted to know more.

"I thought you were a physicist," I joked. "Did you get a degree in therapeutic studies too?" He cracked a semi-forced smile. A natural light started shining in through the window. Sunrises on this ship always left me feeling lighter. I smiled, unable to help it.

"Kathy," Bruce pulled my attention away from the window. "What do you know about me?" I raised an eyebrow. What was this about?

"Are you referring to the multiple degrees you have or the fact that you lose control and turn into a large green rage monster?" a new voice called from the door. It was Stark. As an automatic response I clenched my fists and I stiffened. Bruce glared at Stark but I noticed there wasn't much heat behind it.

"Thank you for that Tony," Bruce sighed. He looked at me curiously and then deflated in what I guess was disappointment. Oh no. I hoped he didn't think I was like this because I was afraid of him. That wasn't it. Of course I had already known about him being the Hulk. It just really didn't bother me. Breathe Kathy. In. 1,2,3,4,5. Out. 1,2,3,4,5. I felt a hand on my shoulder and almost lost it.

"Not a problem Jolly Green. Anyways Kit-Kat, I hope you don't mind the nickname, you left quite the impression yesterday." God how long ago was it that I wished I had a dad who gave me cute nicknames? "Mind telling us what that was about?" I stood up abruptly knocking his hand off my shoulder and turn to face him.

"You," I pointed at him, "You don't touch me and stay away from me. Don't give me nicknames, don't talk to me. Don't even look at me okay?" I could feel myself choke up with tears. God I was so weak and emotional. Stark and Bruce both looked at me with shocked expressions. So I did what I do best. I ran away.

I ran back to my room and slammed the door. I sat down against it and cried. I couldn't do this. How could I? He was my father. He had no idea who I was, didn't even recognize the last name. He was the reason for every bad thing in my life. I hated him so much.

I don't know how long I simply cried, or how long I just sat there afterwards trying to catch my breath before there was a knock on my door. I cleared my throat. "Who is it?" Dammit. My voice was definitely still shaky.

"Lady of the Fields, it is I Thor. I was sent by the one known as Fury to come collect you for a meeting." I chuckled. This guy was too much. Lady of the Fields? I stood up and opened the door. Thor took in my appearance. "You've been crying have you not?" He looked at me worriedly.

"I was," I nodded, "but I'm better now." I tried to give him a reassuring smile but couldn't gather up the energy to do so. I motioned down the hall. "Shall we?"

"In a moment, small woman. I believe you are in need of the cheering up as you mortals call it no?" He was completely serious.

"It's all right Thor. I'll be fine," I tried to convince him. He obviously didn't buy it. So he wasn't completely clueless. Good to know. Before I fully understood what was happening my feet had been lifted off the floor and I was being bear hugged by the god. He spun me around in circles. I couldn't help myself, I laughed. We both did. His laugh was deep and loud and I wouldn't be surprised if it was heard all the way down the hall.

"Come, now Kathy of the Fields of May! Let us go onward to the gathering of warriors!" He swung me onto his back and took off running down the hall. He definitely reminded me of an over excited child. We laughed and yelled all the way to the deck. People who had the misfortune of being in the same hallway as us had to throw themselves against the wall to avoid being pummeled.

All eyes were on us as we arrived on deck. Some agents held back laughter; Agent Hill merely raised an eyebrow at us. I made eye contact with Bruce and he smiled shyly at me. Steve and Natasha just looked at us like we were crazy, and Tony well, I didn't even bother looking at Tony.

"Enjoying yourself Agent?" Hill asked once my feet were once again planted on the floor. Thor ruffled my hair, effectively knocking my hair out of the bun it had been in. "And why aren't you wearing your uniform?"

I looked at her sheepishly. "I kinda, you know, wrecked it. And it was the last one I had."

Hill rubbed her temple, something she did when annoyed. "Very well Agent. We'll work on getting you a new set after this."

"What exactly am I here for again?" I asked. I still was unsure why Fury included me in this, whatever this was.

"We've captured the terrorist known as Loki. Fury is down there with him right now. As you are a part of this team I figured that it would be appropriate for you to be here and watch his interrogation." Hill looked like she wanted me to be anywhere but there. I just nodded and joined the group at the table, making sure I was far away from Stark but close to Thor. I barely knew him but he had grown on me. Kind of like an older brother. I tuned in to the conversation on the screen. And then all hell broke loose.


	3. Chapter 3

So Bruce is just a little OOC in this scene. Slightly more confident.

"Ant," Fury pointed to the man I assumed was Loki. "Boot." He pointed to the control panel next to him. Loki was tall, but definitely shorter than his brother. His skin was deathly pale and was deeply contrasted by his midnight black hair. His outfit was just as ridiculous as Thor's and yet…it fit him well. He looked at the cage appreciatively.

"This is quite an impressive cage," Loki admitted. "Yet I don't think it was made for me." His voice was like honey; smooth and sweet, tempting you to get stuck in it.

"Made for something stronger than you actually," Fury claimed smugly. I risked a glance at Bruce, wondering if he knew it was for him.

"Ah yes. The beast that still plays human." Well if Bruce didn't know then, he certainly knew now. Bruce kept his face stoic. "How desperate are you," Loki asked Fury, "that you call upon such lost creatures to fight for you?"

"You've killed my men, you murder for the hell of it, and you've stolen a power you can't wish to be able to control. I'd say you've made me pretty desperate," Fury glared at Loki.

"Oh yes a warm light for all mankind," Loki glanced up at the camera. He knew we were watching him. "Aren't you just all about helping others? I must applaud you Fury. First you try to help the world with a new clean form of energy and then you try to bring together a broken family. How are father and daughter getting along if I may ask? If my guess is right they haven't seen each other in twenty years."

I gulped. Oh no. Please. He can't know. Not me. My hands started to sweat and shake.

Fury just looked at Loki. "They're getting along well enough."

Loki laughed. "Director, please. I am _the_ Liesmith. I know you are lying through your teeth. I am merely curious how Stark reacted when he found out his daughter was on the same team as him." He made it seem like such an innocent question. The smirk on his face gave away his intentions though.

Hill quickly turned off the screen, probably afraid that if I heard anymore I'd lose it. How did he _know_? I looked at Stark. His mouth was wide open; he hadn't stopped looking at the screen. Everyone else at the table was looking at Tony with concern, except for Bruce. His gaze was on me. I could see the puzzle pieces coming together in his head. I shook my head slowly, warning him not to say anything.

"Well, he just grows on you doesn't he?" Banner's dry humor broke the tense silence. That seemed to be the cue for everyone else to start speaking too.

"Friend Stark," Thor said from next to me, "I knew not that you were a father." Tony tried to regain his composure.

"Neither did I Shakespeare." His voice shook. He was digesting this information, putting the clues together.

"Tony," Natasha said, "he said himself he's a liesmith. He could be lying." She turned her eyes to me. Great. Looks like everyone was figuring it out.

"But Agent Romanoff, Director Fury didn't say he was lying. He would've called him out on it don't you think?" Steve would defend the Director. Stupid soldier. I decided to get out of there while I still could. I slowly started moving away from the table while they were speaking. I had just turned my back to them when I heard Stark call my name.

I didn't bother turning around. "Yes, Mr. Stark?" I kept my voice cool and calm even though on the inside I felt like I was going to puke.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty. What concern is it of yours?" I was getting angry. I just wanted to get outside. I needed to get away from these people. Everything was falling apart now. I knew the curious ears of the others on deck were listening in. Some were wondering if I'd go berserk. I could hear them.

"And your mom. What's her name?" He sounded closer to me then he was earlier.

"Tony," Bruce called. "Maybe you should leave her alone."

"I want answers dammit!" Tony yelled. I let out a small hiss of pain as my palm was sliced open by my nails again. I could feel the blood pooling in my fist. I kept my eyes on the ground. "Answer me! Who the fuck was your mother!" he yelled.

"The last name doesn't ring a bell Stark?" I laughed bitterly. "My mother's name was Sophia Mayfield and she used to work for you twenty years ago." It was silent for a minute and I could feel the tension in the air. Nobody moved or said a word.

"I-I remember her," Tony said softly. He seemed speechless.

"I wonder if you remember how you played with her. Made her think you loved her." My voice was harsh. I could feel my vocal chords changing. I couldn't do this. Not now. I needed to get out. "You left her!" I yelled, spinning to face him. I could only imagine what I looked like. I had only seen what I looked like before a change from video footage.

My hair was wild and turned a deep blue color and my eyes would shine with a white light before settling on a deep red color. I could feel myself being pushed into the back of my own mind as the other me came out.

_Bruce P.O.V_

I looked on in awe as Kathy's eyes shone with a near blinding white and her hair turned from black to blue. The rest of the deck looked on in fear. As far as I was concerned this really wasn't terrifying. My transformation as the Hulk was definitely a lot worse than this. Some of the agents actually _ran_ off the deck. I barely heard Agent Hill call Fury and brief him on the situation. What was so bad about-

"Tony duck!" Natasha yelled as a ball of flame sailed over where Tony had been standing. Natasha had shoved him out of the way. Oh. That makes sense. Maybe I shouldn't have assumed that healing was Kathy's only power. I took a deep breath. They already had this to worry about, no point in letting the Other Guy out too.

"Agent Mayfield!" Fury called. When did he get here? I still hadn't moved. I looked on in interest. If I moved I'd probably lose it myself anyways.

"I am not," Kathy yelled, I noticed her eyes were almost blood red, "Kathy! My name is Algea!" Her fists were surrounded in flames. I had never seen flames change color like that before.

"Whatever!" Fury yelled. "You need to calm down and let Kathy back out." The flames around her hands turned into a light yellow color.

"And why would I do that Fury?" It was odd. It was Kathy's face and her voice, but the girl standing in front of us was definitely not the shy, insecure girl I had spoken to only hours before. "The only reason I'm here is because Kathy doesn't want to be." I filed that away in the back of my mind for later consideration.

"Algea, killing the asswipe won't bring your mother back." I shook my head. That was probably the worst thing he could've said to her. Yuuup. There it was. Algea shot a gust of wind at Fury, sending him crashing among the computer. I sighed. I should probably try and help. I stood and made my way over to the dangerous girl.

When she saw me approaching the flames turned white. I'd never seen a white flame before. It was oddly hypnotizing. I put my hands up in the universal sign for 'I mean no harm.' "Hey now. Calm down," I spoke softly not wanting to alarm her. Even like this I thought she was absolutely breath taking. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"And if I don't? Is that going to make you angry?" she asked teasingly. She took a step closer to me. I smirked. I could feel the Other Guy right below the surface, giving me courage and confidence that wasn't necessarily my own.

"It might." I shrugged. "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." We had continued walking toward each other until we were less than a foot from each other. Her red eyes sparkled with mischief. She giggled. My heart stopped at the sound.

"I like you," she whispered. I felt my face flush pink. She leaned over and placed a kiss on the corner of my mouth. My face got a lot hotter. I watched as the red retreated from her eyes, being replaced with the golden brown I had accustomed myself with. Her hair turned back into its natural black color. She looked at me with those big brown eyes and then she collapsed.

I caught her unconscious body and lifted her bridal style out of instinct. I looked around. Everyone was staring at me.

"Now thanks for calming her down and everything Bruce," Tony began before looking to Fury, "but would you please tell me _what the fuck happened_?"

_Kathy P.O.V_

'My head feels like the Hulk stepped on it', was my first thought. My second was, 'Where am I?'I groaned.

"So sleeping beauty finally awakens," a voice said from the end of the bed. Bed? My bed was broken. My eyes shot open. I was in a typical S.H.I.E.L.D room but it wasn't my own. A glass of water was thrust in front of my face. I looked up to see the face of Bruce Banner staring down at me. "Here, I figured you might be thirsty." I grabbed the drink and sipped at it in silence for a few minutes.

"What happened?" I finally asked. I kept my eyes on the blanket that covered me. I was ashamed. They saw. I knew they saw. And oh my God, Stark knew. He knew. I covered my face with my hands. I didn't want to cry. I felt a gentle hand on my back.

"Hey it's okay. You didn't hurt anybody if that's what you're wondering," he consoled me. Thank God. I was so afraid. The bed tipped down on the edge where Bruce sat. In his eyes I saw understanding. Of course he understood what it felt like having no control of yourself. He knew what it was like to hurt people without realizing it. He was the Hulk.

And despite knowing that, I threw my arms around him and buried my face in his chest. I couldn't stop the sob that wrenched itself from my throat, just like I couldn't stop the tears that escaped my eyes. He had stiffened at first, but then I felt him relax and wrap his arms around me.

"Shh. It's okay Kathy. It's going to be okay." He rubbed circles on my back and rocked me gently back and forth like my mother used to do after I had a nightmare. I missed her so much.

Eventually my sobs died down to hiccups and we just sat there. Honestly I didn't want to move. This was the first time someone had held me since before my mother passed. He was warm and smelt like pine and cinnamon and if I had a choice I'd glue myself to him and stay there forever. But I couldn't. So I did the next best thing.

I fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for all the encouragements everyone

* * *

The table was silent. I sat there uncomfortably, fidgeting under everyone's gaze. Well, Thor and Bruce weren't staring at me. They were actually glaring at anyone who dared looked at me funny. That surprised me, but I was more surprised by the fact that Stark had managed to keep in mouth shut for so long.

"So would someone like to explain to me what's going on?" I sighed. I spoke to soon. Stark's words resulted in nods of agreement from Natasha and Steve. Fury glanced at me, silently asking me if I wanted to tell my own story. I shook my head. I knew he had secrets; that trusting him was like trusting a bee not to sting you, but I trusted him to tell only what they needed to know.

"Two years ago a high school burned down in the Bronx. A number of people were injured and several died. Now that's normally not something out of the ordinary. The story was that some kids were smoking in the bathroom and lit the place on fire. Stark you might've heard of this if your head wasn't stuck up your ass." Tony nodded with a well-placed glare. "S.H.E.I.L.D was called in under suspicions that the fire had been cause by an…unnatural cause."

"Unnatural how?" Steve asked. I looked down at my hands which were placed in my lap. Two years later and this single event still ate me up inside.

"Turns out there was a young mutant attending the school who lost control after receiving some rather troubling news."

_"…your mother was found dead earlier today." _I took a deep shuddering breath and a lone tear slid down my cheek. A heavy hand landed on my shoulder and I looked up to see Thor staring at me concerned. He studied me for a moment before lifting me out of my seat and placing me on his lap. I stiffened before relaxing into it. He started to play with my waist length hair as he paid attention to the story being told.

Fury had continued on, talking about how they had searched for me for the mutant for the better part of a year while the others sent passing looks of astonishment

"Besides a few outbursts that were response to our pursuing her, I'll admit, she had never caused that much damage. So when our team found her shivering in the forests of Canada dressed in rags and severely malnourished, I ignored the orders of my superiors and brought her to our headquarters. After a lot of mishaps over the past year she's managed to learn an astounding amount of control if you couldn't tell by the way she managed to not kill Stark the other day."

They all looked at me; contemplating the information they had been given. It wouldn't sate their curiosity for long though. Thor continued to run his fingers through my hair and I sunk back against him. I felt safe. Not as safe as I had felt when I had been with Bruce, but safe none the less.

Steve was the first to speak. "So what exactly can you do? If you're going to be a part of this team I think we should know." Tony glared at Steve.

"She's not going to be on any team Cap-sicle. I say she stays here," Stark voted.

"And why is that exactly?" Steve and Tony had stood up and were facing each other. I just watched. Thor was braiding my hair. I wondered when he had learned to do that.

"She threw a fire ball at my head! She's a fucking fire bender!" He threw his hands up.

"Technically that was Algea," I muttered. Bruce chuckled and leaned over to me.

"Trust me I know how that feels." We watched as Steve and Tony argued back and forth about my place on the team.

"-unstable!"

"She could be-"

"She tried to kill me!"

"-valuable asset!"

"And when she tries to-"

"Maybe we should trust her!"

"Enough!" Thor yelled. My now completed braid hung over my shoulder. Huh. It was pretty. "Mayhaps we should let the small woman decide for herself whether or not she will ride beside us into battle."

"Sure." I shrugged. Steve nodded and sent a pointed look to Stark.

"There. It's settled," Fury said. "Now here's what's going to happen. We have Loki in our custody. Dr. Banner is currently setting up a device that will detect the radiation of the cube and alert us to where it is. I see no reason to keep any of you on board the ship. Now Mr. Iron Man here has a place big enough to house all of you until further notice-"

"Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no. That's not happening. I'm a very busy man you know. Saving mankind from the terrors of dirty energy and all that jazz- "

"That's an order Stark!" Fury could be terrifying when he wanted to be. His tone left no room for argument. Seeing no response from Stark, Fury nodded. "Alright then. You guys leave tonight." He swept out of the room, leaving me to think 'what just happened?'

* * *

So I know its a lot shorter than I normally do. Buuuut next chapter will be longer and hopefully explain a few things.


	5. Chapter 5

I looked around the disaster area that had been my room for the past year. It was small and cramped with no sense of personality but it had been the first time I had a place to call home after my mother's death. Obviously I knew I would be coming back, I just had to think rationally. Maybe they'd have it fixed up by then. With all of my belongings being able to fit in a single suitcase, it didn't take long for me to pack. It was all clothing anyways. With one last look I shut the door and made my way to the flight deck.

Everyone else was already there. Thor and Stark decided to join us on the jet instead of flying to New York themselves. Looking at Thor's outfit- really did the man ever change?- I decided I'd take him clothes shopping. Yeah, that'd be fun. Lost in thought I didn't realize Bruce was right in front of me until my face met his back. "Oof!" I rubbed my nose. "Sorry Bruce."

"It's alright," he laughed. Even his laugh was hot. That's not fair. "Are you okay?" he asked poking my nose. I swatted his hand away playfully. I don't think I had ever gotten along with a person so quickly before. Except for Thor. But that man was impossible to not get along with. Somehow in the two days, _Jesus had it only been two days?_, I had known Thor, he decided that he would self-appoint himself as my protector. I didn't have a problem with it, and surprisingly neither did _she._

"Yeah I'm fine," I said with a small smile. I motioned toward the jet that would be taking us back to New York. "Shall we?" He flashed me a breathtaking smile that made my heart rate speed up. He locked his arm around mine.

"We shall."

The jet was a standard issue S.H.I.E.L.D aircraft, meaning it was small and cramped. Natasha, Steve and Thor were seated on one side while Tony sat on the other. I groaned mentally. I did not want to be anywhere near him right now. Bruce motioned for me to sit down and I reluctantly sat down next to, as Thor named him, the Man of Iron. I didn't miss how he tried to move away from me and for some reason I kind of felt hurt by that. But no way in hell was I going to let him know that, so instead I raised an eyebrow at the man and turned toward Bruce who sat on my other side. The jet took off.

"You don't like planes do you?" I asked him. He looked very uncomfortable with his hands gripping the edge of his seat until they were white. He actually looked embarrassed. That was so cute.

"I'm not exactly fond of small enclosed spaces, no. The Other Guy hates it more than I do." Poor guy. My mind ran through different things I could do to help him relax. The flight to New York would take at least an hour at the speed this thing was going at. I placed my head against the back of the seat and focused on the ceiling while I placed my hand gently on his.

"Just try to relax," I muttered sleepily. Plane rides, jet rides, just being on an aircraft in general made me tired. I rubbed the top of his hand with my thumb feeling it relax. I fought off the urge to sleep but failed to fight off the blush that graced my face with its presence. I can't believe how often I found myself blushing around this guy. We sat like that for the rest of the trip, me with my head against my seat stroking his hand and him calming down.

The jet landed on the freakishly large building, and that's saying something since its New York, with no problems. From the top of the tower the view of the city was…astounding. I hadn't been to New York since the accident and I was struck by how much I missed it. I remembered how I used to make weekly trips to Manhattan with my friends, how my mom used to take me to see a Broadway play every year for my birthday. It, it felt like I was home. This was my home. As far as I had known, everyone had gone inside. But I was proven wrong when I heard a voice from behind me.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Tony said coming to stand next to me. I honestly got whiplash from how fast I turned my head to look at him. This was not what I expected. At all. I would've expected Harry and Voldemort to have a heart to heart before Tony Stark willingly spoke to me. I was so shocked I couldn't even get angry. I just nodded dumbly at him. He looked at me for a moment before turning and walking back toward the door to go inside. He opened the door and stopped right before entering. He stood there for a minute, like he was contemplating something.

"You know," he finally said, "you do look just like your mother." And the he was gone inside the building and I was left there staring at the door. I sighed and sat down on the roof and just looked at the skyline.

* * *

By the time I finally decided to go downstairs the sun had already set. The stairs led into what was the most expensive looking living room I had ever seen. It was nearly impossible to take in. I heard some talking coming from the other side of the incredibly large room. Turns out it was just the television. Steve was there though, laying down on the couch looking so relaxed. He looked up, saw me and then moved to make room for me on the couch. I sat down slowly. I never really spoke to the Captain before, but now was a good time as any to start.

"Thank you," I said. He looked at me confused. "For standing up for me on the Hellicarrier. Thank you."

"No thanks necessary miss. I was just doing what was right. It wasn't fair of Tony to treat you like that." His baby blue eyes shone with his sincerity. Even after he saw what I could do he still accepted me and stood up for me.

"Still, thank you." I paused for a moment. "Did everyone else go to bed?" Steve shrugged.

"Bruce went to the lab, Natasha I think went to her room, and Tony," he shrugged telling me he didn't know.

"Well I'm going to go find my room." I stood up and then realized something. "Uh… you wouldn't happen to know where my room is would you?" Steve chuckled.

"Come on I'll take you there." We walked through the halls in silence, neither of us knowing what to say. I had no idea where we were going; this place was like a fucking maze. Eventually we ended up at a door, which I guessed was my room. "Across from you is Natasha's room, down the hall you have me and Thor. And we had passed Tony's room on the way here."

"Thank you so much Steve," I said smiling gratefully at him. I giggled at the small blush that tinged his pale cheeks. I turned to enter my room. I suddenly felt exhausted. "Good night Steve."

"Kathy," Steve hesitated.

"Yes?" I asked. I really did just want to go to sleep.

"I know it must be, I mean, with Tony," he groaned. "What I mean is, if you need to talk to someone about anything, I'm here to help."

"I- thank you. Thank you Steve." I yawned. He chuckled and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Get some rest kid. We're going to have a meeting in the morning. Make sure you're in the kitchen by eight."

I gave him a little salute. "Sir, yes, sir," I laughed. "Good night Cap."

"Good night Kat."

My bag was already in my room and I immediately went to work on putting the clothes in dresser. The room was decently sized with a desk, a computer, and a large flat screen T.V. When all my clothes were put away I reached into the bottom of the bag and pulled out a picture frame. It was a picture of me and my mother when I was maybe sixteen. It was taken in front of the fountain at Lincoln Center. She looked so happy. Her brown hair was wavy and her caramel eyes were almost orange because of the light hitting them. I remember being little and thinking I had the prettiest mom in the world.

I touched my fingers against her face wishing that she was here right now. I wanted to tell her everything. I was surrounded by superheroes. I was now a part of a group that was supposed to save the world. I met my dad. But more than anything I just wanted her here so she could hug me and tell me everything was going to be okay. I was so scared. I wasn't good enough for this. I wasn't strong enough. I don't know how I survived this long without her.

She used to be my rock. "I miss you so much Mom," I whispered to the picture. I placed it on the nightstand and crawled under the covers not even bothering to change. I stared at the picture until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. "Goodnight Mom."


	6. Chapter 6

"Miss Mayfield," a British voice said from inside my room making me bolt up and look around in a panic, struggling to keep myself calm.

"Who-what? Who's there?" I called after my initial sweep of the room showed it to be empty.

"I am quite sorry to have frightened you Miss Mayfield. I am JARVIS, Master Stark's A.I."

I sighed in relief and threw myself back down onto my pillows. "It's very nice to make your acquaintance JARVIS." I felt silly talking to the ceiling, but hey, I worked for S.H.I.E.L.D and if that taught me anything it was just to go with the flow.

"The pleasure is mine Miss Mayfield," JARVIS's accent echoed through the room. "Master Stark requests your presence in the kitchen."

Oh shit. I had completely forgotten what Steve had told me last night. I basically ran out bed, rushing to get in and out of the shower –hm I had my own bathroom. Awesome-, brush my teeth, and my hair. I slipped on the tile floor and hit my arm on the sink. "Mother fuck!" I threw on a pair of denim shorts and my favorite Black Sabbath t-shirt as well as a pair of sneakers and booked it out the door. I ran down the hallway before realizing…"Shit." I had no idea how to get to the kitchen. "JARVIS?" I called out quietly.

"Yes Miss Mayfield?"

"…Can you please tell me how to get to the kitchen?"

"Of course Miss Mayfield. This way." I followed his instructions and I finally found myself in the kitchen. Everyone was already gathered around the table that was set in the middle. No surprise, only the best appliances littered the Stark kitchen. Though, I didn't really see Stark being a cook.

"Lady of the Fields!" Thor was the first one to notice my arrival. He gave me a bone crushing hug that managed to lift me off the ground. "I was just about to traverse to find you. I had thought you may have attained some injury that kept you from attending this gathering." He was still dressed in his normal outfit. That shopping trip was definitely looking like a good idea.

"Good morning to you too Thor. I'm perfectly fine, I just overslept," I smiled. We walked toward the table. "And Thor?"

"Yes Kathy of the Mayfields?"

"I would really like it if you called me Kathy or Kat." He gave me a determined nod.

"Very well Lady…Kathy." He draped his arm over my shoulders.

"Good morning," I muttered embarrassed as I sat down at the table. They mumbled the greeting back. I found myself seated between Thor and Steve while Tony sat across from me. I avoided looking at him. Yesterday on the roof was still on my mind.

"…_you do look just like your mother."_ I tried not to focus on it too much. It was probably just an observation. He's a scientist. He observes things. A plate of scrambled eggs and bacon was placed down in front of me and I glanced up to see Bruce setting it down. I'd say he looked exhausted but that wasn't even the proper word for it.

"Thank you Bruce." He patted my shoulder.

"Not a problem Kat." He made his way to his seat next to Tony. I had to suppress a really girly scream of excitement. He called me Kat! Mentally I did a little dance in my head. I had no problems admitting that I was nursing a really big crush on the doctor. I was still only twenty, still basically a teenager, and he was just so, ugh. No words.

"Okay," Steve started, "seeing as we're stuck here for the time being, I think we should focus on two things. One being ground rules. Two being that we all try to get along." There were murmured forms of agreement, even from Stark. He definitely looked worse for wear. He laid his head in his hands and kept it like that. Oh. He was hung over. Makes sense. No one else really seemed to care though.

I had never drunk before, but I used to have friends that did so I kind of knew what he must have been feeling. I went over to the really fancy coffee maker while the others, well, Steve, came up with a set of rules that we needed to follow.

1. No one in the labs unless Tony and by extension Bruce gives you permission.

2. No firing weapons unless under immediate danger.

3. Try not to break anything.

4. We all have to take part in doing chores and making meals (Tony raised a weak protest at that, saying he could hire a maid and a chef. He was shot down by everyone.)

5. Don't leave the tower without letting someone know where you're going.

I figured those were fair rules. I took a deep breath before setting the freshly made cup of coffee in front of Tony. He might be a total jackass, but my friends used to tell me that hang overs hurt like a bitch. He just nodded his thanks to me. We finished our breakfast in silence. We still barely knew each other. No one had any idea what to say. I guess that might've been Stark's job but he was useless right now taking the first sip of his coffee. He raised an eyebrow.

"Milk and three sugars?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"That's normally how I take it. If you want I can make you an-" I started but he cut me off.

"No. No it's fine. This-this is how I take it anyways." Then it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. Huh.

"Stark? Is there any chance you have a pool somewhere in this monstrosity of a building?"

He actually cracked a small smile. "JARVIS help direct Kit- I mean Kathy to the pool on the lower levels."

"Of course sir," the A.I responded.

"Thank you Stark." And then I followed JARVIS's instructions, while asking him questions about the building and well anything I could think of, until I was finally at the Olympic sized pool. I didn't care that I didn't have a swim suit. I stripped down to my undergarments and dived straight into the pool. Oh sweet Jesus that felt good. And as I floated on the water something hit me. My mother detested coffee. I had to learn to make it myself.

And that was the first of many things I learned I had in common with my father.

* * *

The next discovery came later that night when Steve decided that we should watch a football game. Now Steve is cool and everything but he was the definition of an all American boy. He watched sports. I hated sports. Baseball, basketball, hockey- who the fuck watches hockey besides Canadians?- but he absolutely adored football.

It was Steve's turn to pick what we watched. We created some odd schedule for T.V time since Stark could pretty much get whatever show he wanted whether it was actually or not at the click of a button. I sat squished between Thor and Bruce, and my heart wasn't doing some weird fluttery thingy being so close to Bruce, not at all. Natasha made herself comfortable on the floor and Steve and Stark sat in recliner chairs.

Steve was flicking through channels, while Bruce and I talked about my idea to take Thor out clothes shopping- he thought it was a bad idea- and Tony tried to explain how the television worked to Thor with some input from Natasha because Thor looked so lost.

"Can we watch the football ga-"

"No!" Stark and I yelled at the same time. It was silent for a second before Bruce started laughing. Once again, his laugh is like unfairly hot. Thor and Natasha joined in while Steve just kind of looked like someone kicked his puppy.

Stark and I made eye contact, observing each other before we too broke out in laughter.

"So looks like father and daughter aren't so different after all," Bruce said. I stopped laughing. What was wrong with me? I was in the same room as Stark and I was laughing and enjoying myself. I was nothing like him. I got up and walked back to my room, thanking God I had had JARVIS help me memorize the layout of the place. I heard Bruce call my name but I ignored him. He jogged to catch up to me.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean-" I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his waist and for the second time he held me when I cried.


	7. Chapter 7

Bruce walked me over to my room and sat down on the edge of my bed. He pulled me closer to him, so close I was sitting on his lap. He rubbed my back and ran his fingers through my hair. "Hey. Shh, shh. It's okay. I'm sorry, Kathy. I didn't mean to make you cry." I tightened my grip on his shirt.

"Is not your fault," I muttered into his shirt. He chuckled and I looked up feeling his body shake. "What?"

"We really need to stop meeting up like this," he grinned. I pouted and he just chuckled again.

"It's not my fault you're so damn good at calming me down. But I am sorry." He tilted his head in confusion. "You know, for always crying on you and stuff." Really Kathy? Really? You're so smooth you could be a jazz player. Bruce just pulled me in tighter to his chest.

"You know…if you want to talk about it, I'll listen. It's probably not good to keep all this bottled up inside." He spoke from experience, knowing that bottled emotions over flowed until they could no longer be controlled. I just…

"I don't want to talk right now." He looked disappointed and made a move to get up. "Don't go." Oh God was that me? I sounded so small. "I don't wanna talk but could you…could you stay? Just for a little while?" I buried my face in his shirt afraid to see his reaction. He'd say no. I'm being pushy and too forward. What did I do?

"As you wish." I wrapped my arms around his neck as he lifted me up and carried me around the bed to lay me down. He was strong. I could feel the muscles in his arms and chest underneath his shirt.

"Princess Bride?" I giggled against his neck. He laid me down on the bed and shrugged.

"It's one of my favorite movies." He sighed. "You should really give him a chance," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"Tony. I think you should give him a chance." Bruce ran his fingers through his hair.

"How can I? After everything he did…" I trailed off not wanting to get into it. Bruce sighed.

"I don't know what he did to your mother. But the way I see it, everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves." I looked down, kind of ashamed. My mom used to tell me that same thing. "And just like you're a girl who never knew her father, he's a man who never knew his daughter. Give it a shot. Maybe he'll surprise you." I sighed and buried my face in my pillow. "Look get some rest and think about it."

He kissed the side of my head and I froze.

Oh.

My.

God.

He got up and before he could walk away I grabbed his arm to pull him back down to my level. I pressed a kiss to the side of his mouth, my face burning so hot it hurt. He looked at me shocked, mumbled a quick goodnight and then ran out of my room. I deflated and covered my face with my hands.

I can't believe I just did that. I just ruined everything. I screamed into my pillow until I heard a whisper.

_Oh do be quiet Kathy. You're giving me a headache._

"Funny seeing as I don't have one."

_Technicalities_, she said dismissively. _Will you shut up? Banner probably just ran away scared. He didn't seem to have any trouble when I kissed him._

"You, WHAT?" I yelled. While Algea could see what was happening through my eyes, I wasn't privy to the same.

_Go to sleep Kathy. _And then she was silent.

It wasn't the first time I had conversed with Algea, but it was very rare when it happened. It was a bit unnerving and always short. I decided not to dwell too much on it and went to sleep.

* * *

When I woke up it was still dark outside.

"JARVIS, what time is it?" I asked the always present AI.

"The current time is two-forty three A.M, Miss Mayfield."

"Thank you JARVIS." I rolled over and shut my eyes even though I knew any attempt to go back to sleep was futile. I sighed and decided I could use a glass of water. There was a light coming from the kitchen. Maybe JARVIS knew where I was headed and turned on the light for me?

Nope. I instead found Tony sitting at the table with a bottle of amber looking liquid grasped tightly in his hand. I debated on just running back to my room, but in the back of my mind I kept hearing what Bruce said about giving him a chance. I'm too much of a coward for this, I thought. I can't.

"You can come into the kitchen Kathy. I don't bite," Tony said, voice lacking all sense of humor. Besides the obvious slurring in his words, his voice sounded different. Kind of like…oh no. I sighed and sat myself down across from him. There was no point in running away now.

"You're drunk," I stated bluntly. He put his head in his hands and nodded. I glanced at the bottle of golden liquid. It was so innocent looking. I grabbed the bottle, took a shuddering breath, and took a swing from the bottle.

I almost died.

"Holy shit!" I coughed. Tony was laughing so hard he was crying. "It's not funny! How do you even drink this stuff?" He just swiped the bottle away from me before taking a swing himself, without a single problem.

"Practice."

I could feel the warmth spread through my chest down to my stomach. Wow. That felt amazing. I eyed the bottle, wanting another sip. Tony just smirked at me and slid the alcohol to me, eyebrow raised in a silent challenge.

I took another sip.

* * *

"And this kid Isaac right? Oh my God Tony, he just like," I giggled, "his hair was green!" Tony and I collapsed on the floor in laughter. There were a few more bottles of amber stuff on the floor next to us. I was completely and utterly shitfaced. Not that Tony was doing any better than I was. I reached for the bottle again only to have him take it from me. "Hey!" I pouted, falling over as I leaned toward him to get it back.

"I-I just realized that you're not twenty one!" Tony looked at me scandalized. He made to stand up and stumbled, causing me to laugh. "I'm telling Bruce!" He ran and I chased him, both of us laughing and yelling.

"Bruce!" Tony yelled as he entered the lab, me following close behind. He stopped and I ran into his back hard enough that I fell to the floor. Instead of being in pain, I started laughing. Bruce looked at the two of us like we were insane. In my drunken haze, I noticed that in front of Bruce were a numerous amount of vials containing a dark red liquid. Blood, somehow it registered in my mind that the vials were filled with blood.

"Brucie!" Tony tried again to get the doctor's attention. "Kathy's been drinking!" he tattled, pointing a finger at me.

"So have you!" I slurred from my position on the floor.

"Yeah but I'm old enough to drink! You're not even legal yet!"

I stuck my tongue out at him. My nose started to tickle. I rubbed it trying to stop it while Bruce tried to get Tony to go to bed. Tony was hugging Bruce, well, hanging on to Bruce and felt an intense rush of jealousy run through my veins.

I sniffed, still trying to get my nose to stop tickling. Big mistake.

"Achoo." I slid backwards slightly. Bruce and Tony stopped talking and stared at me, jaws wide open. "Achoo." I slid back further. I looked around wildly, having a mini-panic attack before, "ACHOO!" I flew through the thankfully open glass door and slammed into the wall on the other side of the hallway.

Bruce was the first one by my side, asking me if I was alright, helping me stand up, and making sure I didn't break any bones. I was in the clear but my back hurt like a son of a bitch. That would definitely bruise.

Bruce sat me down gently and told Tony to go get some ice. Tony just gaped at me like a fish out of water before running to do what he was told.

I glanced around the lab. It looked like a tornado had blown through the center of it, throwing papers and desks everywhere. Broken vials littered the floor, covering it with a red substance. It took my mind a minute to realize that those were the vials Bruce had been using.

"I did that?" I whispered to myself, unbelieving. I had never done that before.

"Yeah. Algea did something similar on the Helicarrier," Bruce said not realizing that I hadn't meant to be heard.

"You mean, I did this before?" Bruce stared at me.

"You had no idea you could do this could you?"

Well, that's one way to sober up.


	8. Chapter 8

So basically a little Thor/Kathy bonding time.

* * *

"So you mean to tell me," Steve said disbelieving, "that you had absolutely no idea that you could do…whatever it is you did?"

The six of us were gathered around the living room sitting in a circle on the floor. This was Tony's idea, and thank God for that, because it allowed the both of us to lie down and deal with the consequences of our little late night fun. And bless Thor because he allowed me to lay my head on his lap and was currently stroking my hair. If I was a cat I would've been purring.

"Sounds about right," I quipped, annoyed that Steve had asked the same question about three times already.

"But it's your body! Your powers! How did you not know?"

I pinched my nose in frustration. "Look Steve. I don't know what's going on. As far as I was concerned my only mutations were turning into a completely different person, a little healing, and the ability to create fire." To prove my point a small ball of orange flame hovered above my palm.

"You are similar to my brother Lady Kathy," Thor said staring at the ball of fire fondly. "Loki is also a wielder of fire."

I smiled at Thor, trying to comfort him. I could tell that he seriously missed his brother. Loki was definitely an idiot for letting his brother go. Suddenly Tony exclaimed, "Holy shit! Is fire supposed to be that color?" Maybe Tony wasn't as sober as we hoped he'd be. But he brought up a good point. Maybe I should explain why the flame floating about was almost sky blue.

"Well…" I sighed. "The best way I can explain it is that my fire is, well it's connected to my emotions." I caught Bruce's eye. I was still incredibly embarrassed about last night. I blushed and averted my eyes as the flame turned a bright yellow. I closed my hand and the flame vanished.

"So the fire was blue because," Natasha started, "because you were relaxed right?" I nodded. Stupid spy, with her stupid people reading skills. Of all people she'd be able to figure out what each color stood for.

"I am making you relaxed Lady Kathy?" Thor asked. "Am I the reason for the curious color changing of fire?" I nodded against his leg while letting out a small yawn.

"That's right big guy," I mumbled tiredly. Steve huffed in annoyance.

"Look that's nice. It really is. But we're getting off topic."

I sent a half-hearted glare at him. "You were a lot cooler a few hours ago Mr. Rogers. How about this? Me and Tony are obviously exhausted," I gestured to the snoring lump known as Tony Stark, "and the rest of you don't look any better. It's like- JARVIS time please?"

"The time is four twenty-six A.M, Miss Mayfield," the British voice echoed throughout the room.

"Thank you JARVIS."

"You're very welcome Miss Mayfield."

"Now as I was saying," I continued, "it's like four thirty in the morning. Can we sleep on this? I can't tell you what happened because I don't know. Tony and Bruce can help me figure it out tomorrow once I get back."

"Back from where?" Steve asked. "Director Fury said we're not supposed to leave unless absolutely necessary."

"It's important though!" I exclaimed. Natasha got up, obviously bored, and slipped away without anyone else noticing.

"What could be that important?"

"Have you seen the way you and Thor are dressed?" So what? I'm twenty. I'm allowed to care about these things. "I'm taking Thor out shopping tomorrow."

Steve opened his mouth to protest.

"Well, not that this hasn't been a fun little get together," I stood up and slowly inched toward the hallway, "I think it's time I hit the sack. Thor?"

"Yes Lady Mayfield?"

"Meet me in the kitchen at 10 okay? We're going to get you some Midgardian clothing."

* * *

The next morning Thor and I had breakfast in the kitchen before sneaking away, making sure to avoid Captain Joy Kill at all cost. Sleep didn't come easy to me so I had JARVIS read me the stories of Norse mythology. Weird shit.

Shopping with Thor was definitely an experience. Thank God New York is home of the weird and strange otherwise Thor would've attracted a lot more attention than he usually did. He was like a kid in candy land, looking at everything in amazement and asking me what something was when he didn't get it. It was so adorable. He said the buildings reminded him of Asgard with their height and grandeur.

Poor guy was homesick.

The first few stores we went to didn't have anything that fit Thor's large and tall physique. I did however find a number of items for the rest of the team. I figured it'd be a good peace offering, even though I was technically paying with Stark's money.

JARVIS had informed me that morning that Tony had given me use of one of his cars and private drivers as well as a credit card to buy whatever I needed to buy. I just shrugged it off as Tony still being drunk. I sure as hell wasn't going to complain. Shopping spree? Hell yeah.

After searching all over lower Manhattan I finally found a place that specialized in large and tall men. It was perfect. I got Thor the basic necessities and then had him try on almost everything that came in his size. It was like having my own Barbie doll. At the end I got Thor jeans, slacks, button downs, polos, t-shirts, and well, a little of everything.

It was only three in the afternoon by the time we finished shopping. The car Tony had lent us had bags all over the back seats since the trunk was full. I tried not to focus on the ridiculously large amount of money I had just spent. My mom and I never had much money so the idea of spending so much was almost painful. But I guess it was necessary.

"Hey Thor?" I asked him. He was now dressed in a pair of jeans and a green t-shirt which made his eyes stand out even more. Thor would fit in a lot better now.

"Yes Lady Kathy?" His warm smile was a precious thing. I was an only child, but I imagined that this is what having a sibling would be like. Someone to go out with, to protect me, someone I could teach everything I knew to. It was pretty freaking awesome. After only a few days Thor had managed to grow on me. I hated to think I wouldn't be sticking around for much longer…

"You like coffee?"

"The Midgaridan drink of energy? I am quite fond of that drink!" he said loudly. "It was one of the first drinks I had in the company of Lady Jane!" Jane? A question for another day. I tapped the separator.

"Happy? Can you drive us to the nearest Starbucks?"

"Of course Miss Mayfield."

Soon enough Thor and I were seated in a secluded corner of Starbucks on 14th and Broadway. It was odd being here again. I used to come here all the time when I was younger. The things I used to do with my friends… I smiled into my cup of caramel macchiato.

"This is a place of fond memories for you is it not?" Thor asks, catching my smile, as he sets down his cup of mocha frap. Despite common belief among the others, Thor is not stupid. He's actually pretty smart. He's like a tourist though, he doesn't understand our way of life. And he's pretty good at reading me, which is odd.

"Yeah. I used to come here all the time with my," someone caught my eye over Thor's shoulder, "friends."

"OH MY GOD! KATHY!" Let it be said that my friends were almost as loud as Thor. I blur of purple ran over to my table and almost knocked me out of my chair. So much for not being the center of attention. Someone else, a guy, followed at a slower pace. My heart stopped.

"Rebecca, John." Holy shit. Crap, crap, crap, crap. "Hi."

"Hi? You disappear off the face of the Earth for two years, everyone thought you _died_ in that fire, and all you have to say for yourself is hi?" Rebecca yelled at me. I sighed. Maybe coming here wasn't the smartest decision I had ever made.

"It's…complicated." I really couldn't off her much, which I regretted. Rebecca was like my sister. She had always been there for me. Whenever my mom…best not to think about it.

"Complicated? Really? When has anything ever been too complicated to tell me?" Oh God she was going to cry. I couldn't deal with that. If she started crying, I'd start crying. I got up and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry," I choked. "I'm so so sorry Becky. I can't tell you right now," I whispered in her ear, "but maybe one day I'll be able too." She stared at me and nodded in understanding. She tilted her head toward Thor.

"So who's the guy?" Becky asked teasingly.

"That's Thor. He's not from around here." Suddenly I felt myself being bear hugged from behind, forcing the air from my lungs. I looked up at Thor's face, his eyes shining with an obvious need to be protective of me. Of what I wasn't sure.

Rebecca was in awe of the large man standing behind me. Her blue eyes were wide in shock. I couldn't blame her. Thor was a lot to take in.

"Thor, this is Rebecca, an old friend of mine. Rebecca, Thor." I really wanted to leave. I had done well enough to avoid any kind of contact with people from my past. Getting them involved, especially Becky, was something that I never wanted to happen. So I did what I did best.

I ran away.

I pulled out my cell phone and flipped it open, looked at its blank screen, and then shut it again.

"Thor, we're needed home now." I smiled apologetically at Rebecca. "I'm really sorry. But we need to go." I started dragging Thor toward the door, abandoning our coffee, when Becky called my name.

"I'm going to see you again right?"

I kept my head down, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"I don't know." And then we were out the door and in the car. Finally I let the tears fall.

"Kathy," Thor put his hand on my leg, "are you okay?" I shook my head, a pained whine making its way through my lips. "I am sorry for your sadness but I must admit to being glad to have gotten out of there. The puny man was staring you in quite an odd way that I found threatening."

"John and I weren't on best terms before I…left." I left it at that and thankfully Thor understood.

The rest of the ride back to the tower was spent in silence, except for the occasional sob forcing its way through my lips. Happy told me and Thor to go on upstairs and that he'd bring the bags up.

My intention was to head to my room but Thor had different plans. The minute the elevator doors opened Thor lifted me off my feet and carried me into the living room where he promptly sat down with me on his lap, cuddled against his chest.

"It is okay for you to cry Lady Kathy. There is no weakness in tears, only proof that you are in possession of a heart and that it pains you."

I started crying all over again. And that's how Tony found us an hour later. Except by then I was looking worse for wear and half asleep.

Tony just took it all in stride.

"So short stuff, ready for some science?"


	9. Chapter 9

I know Bruce is a little OOC at points but I figure with the Hulk just underneath the surface he's more confident. Kind of like how he was right before willingly transforming.

* * *

Actually, I wasn't ready to do science. I was tired and I was in no mood to leave the circle of embrace that was Thor's arms, but I had promised, and when I made a promise I kept it. We were in the lab that I had wrecked yesterday, and in a better state of mind I could appreciate the sheer amount of technology that Stark had created or owned. It was incredible.

In the back of my mind, a bitter part of me said that this could've been what I grew up with instead of some crappy television.

I shook the thought from my head, and instead tried to focus on Bruce and Steve's conversation. Which was about me, well, my mutation. Apparently Steve was somewhat out of the loop when it came to mutants. He also thought that as 'team leader' he should be present which annoyed the hell out of me. Tony was doing something on one of the computers.

"It's called the X-gene," Bruce explained. "And it's exactly what it's called. It's a mutation in the genetic make-up, the same as the gene that causes red hair or two different colored eyes."

Steve nodded in a slow understanding. "But aren't things like that passed down?"

"Yeah, but it the case of the X-gene, it makes a leap, showing up in seemingly random individuals. From there it is a possibility that it will be passed from parent to child."

"I've done my research American Boy Doll," Tony stated from his hunched position over the screen, "and there is no evidence of the X-gene on either side of Kathy's bloodline. We've got ourselves a first generation mutie!" he said almost proudly. Was he happy that his child was a mutant? I doubted it. Nobody wants a monster for a kid. He slid over to another screen and pulled up a number of videos in which Algea was the star.

I watched in morbid fascination as Algea killed, maimed, and destroyed whatever she could. I watched as she set a man on fire, stabbed an ice pick through another's heart, made the earth swallow buildings and people, and blew gusts of wind so hard that they went flying. Fury was obviously lying when he said I never caused too much damage.

"Where did you get these?" I asked harshly. Turn it off! I thought desperately.

"Hacked S.H.I.E.L.D's databases," Tony shrugged nonchalantly. As an agent I probably should've reported him. It was my job, but, I just let it be.

I averted my eyes from the screen, sick to my stomach, as the other three men continued to watch. I knew that people had died by my hand. I never realized how gruesome their deaths were. I was always far away by the time Algea allowed me to take control of our shared body.

"So, we need to figure out why the vampire you can do all these avatar things and why you, well, can't."

"Eloquently put Tony," I muttered darkly. While I admitted to myself it would be cool to do all those things, a part of me was terrified after seeing the things Algea had done with those same powers.

"So let's start off with the basics," Bruce said. "We'll take a blood sample and then ask you some pretty simple questions." I blanched.

"Blood…sample?" I hated needles. Sharp objects in general really. Only was there one time that they didn't strike fear in me, and that was when they had been protecting me.

Steve sensed my unease. "Are you afraid of needles?" Tony bit back a laugh and I glared at him.

"I'm not exactly fond of sharp pointy objects being shoved into my skin." I sat down on the chair next to Tony, knowing that I really wasn't going to be able to get out of it. I rolled up my black sleeve and held my arm out to Bruce. "Just get it over with Doctor." I shut my eyes and tensed.

"First I'm going to inject you with a miniature device that will show us on screen how your blood and heart rate and the like act when you heal or use your powers, okay?" Bruce asked. I nodded.

I felt a warm hand on my back; I don't know who it belonged to, comforting me as the needle slid into my arm. I winced. I kept my eyes shut as the next needle entered my arm, this time withdrawing blood. I opened my eyes as soon as I felt the object leave my body. I moved to pull my sleeve down but Bruce stopped me.

"I just want to see how your healing works," he explained. They watched as the small miniscule hole in my arm closed on its own. On screen it showed the regeneration of skin tissue. I shrugged.

"My healing isn't all that great," I admitted. "I can only heal small things. Small cuts, bruises and the like. It's why I was able to get drunk, while Cap here, with his intensified healing factor can't."

Bruce wrote something on a small notepad. "Interesting."

"So basically your healing factor is useless." I refrained from smacking Tony on the upside of the head. I nodded though. It really wasn't all that great. The scars on my body were proof of that. Speaking of scars…

"What are those?" Steve said softly, grabbing my hand to get a closer look. Tony and Bruce had moved to another table reviewing the data and testing my blood, thankfully out of earshot. I don't know what I'd do if they saw. They're not stupid.

"They're scars. Like Tony said, my healing factor is pretty useless." I cringed and tried to pull my arm out of Steve's grasp, but he was intent on holding on to me. So I pulled down my sleeve and covered the burn scars on my wrist.

"How'd you get them?" Steve dropped my hand, getting the hint.

"I don't really remember," I lied. "I think I got them while I was not myself. You have no idea how often I used to wake up finding scars and cuts I couldn't remember getting," I added a small laugh, hoping it was believable enough for him to drop it.

He pursed his lips, nodded, and then left the room without a single word. That was weird.

Burns were the only thing I couldn't fully heal. I have no idea why, but trial and error proved it.

"So Kathy, I have a big favor I need you to do for me."

"I'm not letting you talk to Algea, Stark." Bruce chuckled at the comic look on Tony's face.

"Don't tell me you're a mind reader too!" Tony threw his hands in the air.

"Nope," I popped the P sound, "you're just predictable." I blushed a little as the sound of Bruce's laughter washed over my ear drums.

"But Kathy," Tony whined, "I wanna know about her!"

"No. End of discussion."

"But-"

"No."

"Please?"

"Hmm, no."

"But it's for the pursuit of knowledge!"

"Knowledge can go kiss my ass, if it means keeping you away from Algea."

"Brucie!" Tony turned to the amused scientist. "Back me up here!"

"Tony, I'm all for talking to Algea, trust me I have my own questions to ask her, but if Kathy doesn't want to then there's no need to force her. I understand where she's coming from."

I could kiss him at that moment.

"Wait, what do you mean you have your own questions to ask her?" I looked at Bruce confused. Did I miss something? "What happened?"

Bruce just laughed. "Don't worry about it Kat. Oh Tony, stop pouting."

"But the pursuit of knowledge!"

"The pursuit of knowledge can wait until after Kathy feels it's safe enough to let Algea out." Bruce's tone held a finality to it. Was…was he protecting me?

"Fine I get it. Traitor," Tony mumbled. He got up and left the room muttering something about needing a drink. I sighed and stood up myself. Someone should make sure he doesn't drink himself stupid.

"I'm gonna go make sure he doesn't drink himself stupid," making some random hand gesture toward the door. Bruce smiled.

"You care," he stated. I felt myself pale.

"I do not. He's just useless when he's drunk."

"Mhm. You keep telling yourself that Kat. And then let me know how that works out for you."

I sighed. "He's a member of this team and he's not a _total_ jackass, so I can tolerate his existence. That's all Bruce."

I made a split second decision. I hugged him. And this time, I thought to myself proudly, I'm not crying!

I wondered if I had made a mistake before his arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer, holding me tightly. I felt him bury his head in my neck and I snuggled against his chest. Never had anything felt so right. It felt like I belonged there in his arms. I leaned up and pressed a small kiss on the corner of his mouth, before shyly pulling myself out of his arms.

"Thanks Bruce," I whispered, before turning and practically running out of the lab. Once I was safely in the elevator I let out the girliest shriek ever. Oh my God I actually kissed him. It wasn't a real kiss but still.

"JARVIS?"

"Yes Ms. Mayfield?"

"Can you delete the footage of me screaming?"

If anyone could make a robot that could laugh, it would be Tony, I thought as I glared at the ceiling as JARVIS let out a few chuckles.

"Yes, yes, of course Miss Mayfield. May I ask why you were shrieking like that?"

"You know damn well why, JARVIS. I know you were watching."

"I had no choice, Miss Mayfield. I _am_ a security system after all."

"What's got your panties in a bunch JARVIS?" The AI was actually being sarcastic with me. I laughed and the elevator doors opened.

"Are you arguing with my AI?" Tony asked; drink in hand as soon as I stepped off the elevator.

"Of course not Master Stark," JARVIS replied smoothly. "Arguing would require a disagreement of some sorts."

Tony sniffed. "Smartass robot."

"Well you did create me with an ability to learn based off the behavior of others."

"Mute." He sighed and shook his head, taking a rather large sip from his glass.

"So…" I trailed off unsure of what I should say. When it was me and him alone, I always lost my composure. I hated it.

"Sit," he said motioning to the open spot on the sofa next to him. I did, keeping my eyes to the floor.

"Tell me about your mom," he said suddenly.

"I, uh- what do you want to know?" I whispered.

"Anything. What kind of mother was she? What's your favorite memory of her?"

I shut my eyes against the tears that threatened to spill. "My mom was an amazing woman," I chuckled. "After she stopped working for you she wasn't bringing in as much money, but she always tried to make sure I got the best. I remember this one time, a girl in my 3rd grade class made fun of me because I didn't have this doll and I went home and told my mom. And get this, the next day she comes into my class doll in hand and gives it to me in front of everyone. Then she told the girl that the next time she made fun of me she'd call the girl's parents."

Tony chuckled. "Sounds like her."

I nodded, not wanting to talk about my mother anymore. I loved the woman to death, I still do…but sometimes thinking about her hurt too much.

"You know Kit-Kat," I didn't even bother correcting the nickname, "I read your file. Your mom…she was pretty bad for a while wasn't she?"

I chuckled humorlessly. "My first few memories are of her being completely shitfaced. She hated me until I was 5. That whole incident is in my file. Something made my mom's maternal instinct kick in and from there it was the perfect little family. Until the next time she got drunk," I muttered bitterly.

I heard the glass make contact with the table. I lifted my head to look at Tony, but was interrupted by my face making contact with his chest. I stiffened and then let myself relax into it. It was nothing like the hug I had shared with Bruce earlier but it made me feel no less safe.

I had spent my whole life missing out on what it felt like to be held by my father. To finally have it…it broke down what little wall I had left and my eyes could no longer hold back the tears.

I felt Tony sigh and run his fingers through my hair. I don't know how long we stayed like that, with him running his fingers through my hair. But eventually I cried myself to sleep.


End file.
